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<title>WARCRAFT IV – The Predator and The Prey (Night Elf Revelations 1) by Illedon</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24349726">WARCRAFT IV – The Predator and The Prey (Night Elf Revelations 1)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illedon/pseuds/Illedon'>Illedon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Warcraft - All Media Types, Warcraft II, Warcraft III, Warcraft: Orcs &amp; Humans</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:34:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,272</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24349726</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illedon/pseuds/Illedon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
      <p>DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warcraft or any of its lore characters and settings.</p><p>My own fanfiction stories for a WARCRAFT 4.<br/>I first wrote and uploaded my Warcraft fanfictions at the year 2015.<br/>I've deleted it all up and rewrote it again as updates to all of my writings.<br/>Due to the community lockdown caused by the dreaded COVID-19, I was able to finish this story given that I am not currently working, and thus is forced to stay at home all the time.</p><p>WRITING STRUCTURE: My stories are NOT written in a typical novel form of writing. The way I wrote my stories is like how a Warcraft game (NOT WoW) is played, only in a form of words.</p>
    </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Unexpected Visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warcraft or any of its lore characters and settings.</p><p>My own fanfiction stories for a WARCRAFT 4.<br/>I first wrote and uploaded my Warcraft fanfictions at the year 2015.<br/>I've deleted it all up and rewrote it again as updates to all of my writings.<br/>Due to the community lockdown caused by the dreaded COVID-19, I was able to finish this story given that I am not currently working, and thus is forced to stay at home all the time.</p><p>WRITING STRUCTURE: My stories are NOT written in a typical novel form of writing. The way I wrote my stories is like how a Warcraft game (NOT WoW) is played, only in a form of words.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Within the many dark halls of the Black Citadel on Outland lies one certain chamber that is located in the darkest corner of the citadel. Ever since Illidan Stormrage defeated Magtheridon and claimed the fortress as his own, the isolated chamber has been enchanted with powerful magical spell as it has since serve as a prison cell for one certain prisoner. The prisoner that has been locked up within the chamber is none other than the warden, Maiev Shadowsong, the former jailor of Illidan for ten thousand years deep in the barrow deeps prison of Ashenvale Forest back on the lands of Kalimdor. After many ages of serving as a jailor, Maiev is the one now who is locked up within a prison cell.</p><p>Maiev, who tried to hunt and capture Illidan at all cost, ended up following him on Outland, but in the end, she still failed to capture him and thus even becoming his prisoner instead. The once proud jailor has ultimately become the prisoner of her former prisoner. Ever since her defeat by the hands of the blood elves and naga, and her failure to capture Illidan in Outland, Maiev has since witnessed everything that her former prisoner has done on the shattered world. The warden knows how Illidan closed the dimensional gateways and how he eventually won against Magtheridon. She also knows about the return of Illidan and his forces in Azeroth to invade the lands of Northrend, but regretfully ended up failing to destroy the Lich King and the Undead Scourge. Lastly, Maiev also knows about everything that had been happening on Outland lately on how Illidan and his armies are once more facing the demons and fel orcs that aim to take revenge on him, and reclaim Outland for the Legion. Despite all that, the warden remains silent as she continues to languish within her dark prison cell.</p><p>Illidan and his draenei lieutenant, Akama, have recently returned to the Black Citadel coming from their visit on the small hidden and isolated Terrokar Forest. Upon his visit, Illidan had successfully recruited all the surviving noble warriors of the old Alliance Expedition to help him battle the vast armies of the demons and fel orcs that shall attack the Black Citadel any day soon. The war against the Burning Legion on Outland had proved to be costly for Illidan. Despite putting great efforts in fighting the demons and fel orcs on many battlefields on Outland, Illidan lost much of his holdings over the shattered world and his troops have greatly been reduced, meanwhile armies of the Legion were able to replenish their numbers by bringing huge scores of demons from the Twisting Nether. Illidan is now doing his best to fortify all the defenses of the Black Citadel as it is his last and only remaining holdout in Outland. At the worst case for Illidan, he has been greatly suffering from the dark magical curse of Frostmourne in his body that he received from his battle against Arthas back on Icecrown Glacier. With all factors at hand, the chances of victory in the war for Illidan are slim.</p><p>It is the following evening since Illidan and Akama have returned to the Black Citadel. Despite all the tensions due to the recent events, things are just the same for Maiev as she remains to be locked up in her dark prison. However, in a surprising and unexpected turn of events, Illidan visited Maiev in her prison chamber. Maiev is instantly shock on seeing Illidan making a surprise visit to her and is now standing inside the dark chamber just outside of her cell. Utterly confused and surprised by the sudden arrival of Illidan, Maiev now begins to speak with her longtime foe and former prisoner.</p><p> </p><p>Maiev: "Well, what truly odd surprise, Illidan. Seeing you here in the flesh at this cursed chamber!"</p><p>Illidan: "It has been a while, Maiev. Tell me, how is my prisoner doing inside her cage these days?"</p><p>Maiev: "Up to this point in time here in this cell, nothing pains me even more than to know that it is I who is locked up inside a cage. After everything I did just to capture you! Everything! Wasted!"</p><p>Illidan: "Ten thousand years, Maiev! Ten thousand years that I have languished inside the darkness of your damned cell in the barrow deeps of Ashenvale! Ten thousand years before I finally claimed my freedom from you! Now, our roles had been reversed, tell me if you fare any better than I did!"</p><p>Maiev: "I'm quite surprised that you actually even kept me alive this long here, Illidan. Is this your way of repaying me for the hospitality that I provided you on all those years of your imprisonment? Then again, seeing you here now makes me wonder if you came to finally finish me off right now."</p><p>Illidan: "I could finished you off back then just as when Vashj and Kael freed me from your blasted cage, Maiev. However, I had far more important things to deal with than you at those days. Seeing that you and your remaining warriors will no longer be a threat to me, I decided to keep you as my prisoner so I can longer worry about your nuisance. After I defeated Magtheridon and claimed this shattered world as my own realm, I tried to offer your warriors a chance to serve me, but they have foolishly refused and so I had banished them all just like when I was banished from our homeland!"</p><p>Maiev: "After everything you did to us, did you seriously thought that my troops would serve you? Despite our defeat, my followers will never side you! Like me, they shall forever stand with justice! To my friend Naisha, whom I painfully had left behind when you attempted to bury us beneath the Tomb of Sargeras! You have much to answer for, Illidan! All the lives you killed demands justice! Our sense of justice are strong, and so as our thirst for vengeance! Vengeance against you, Illidan!"</p><p>Illidan: "Of all the people who did not saw things my way, who are blind to the truth of my actions, you are the biggest fool of all, warden! You blame me for the deaths of your own comrades, yet it was your persistence in capturing me that led them to their deaths! I've suffered your imprisonment for ten thousand years and I shall suffer you no more! Moreover, you have no jurisdiction over my freedom, ever since my brother banished me away from our homeland! I owe you nothing, Maiev!"</p><p>Maiev: "I had to lock you back in your cell, Illidan! You were too dangerous to be freed out in our world. I had no choice but to hunt you down and put you inside your cage even if your brother had banished you away from Ashenvale! And I was right when you and your vile snakes first destroyed the village of Nendis in the forests of Azshara! You murdered all those poor folks in there, Illidan!"</p><p>Illidan: "I had no choice back then! All I ever needed was just one ship to myself so I can sail away and carry out with my plans! I could not summon my own portal yet back on those days so I needed a ship! They were all fools, and they forced my hand. I needed a ship to finally get away from you! Given my banishment, I sought to live far away with my new freedom as I go along with my plan!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Dark Truth Reflections</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maiev: "Banished or not, it does not matter! You have no right to any freedom, Illidan! You should have never even been set free at all! I blame Tyrande in all of this when she murdered my Watchers, and let you out of your cage! You are mine, Illidan! You belong only inside of my prison for you!"</p><p>Illidan: "As always, you are but a naive fool! You tend to cling into your false sense of justice! Let me tell you something, warden! True justice is blind, and so am I! With my blind eyes, I have seen what all of you could not! You despise Tyrande for setting me free, yet in truth, if she had not done so, the Legion and the Scourge would have won on Kalimdor! It is because of me why Archimonde and his vast armies were defeated in the Battle of Mount Hyjal when I consumed the energy of the Skull of Gul'dan, and used my new power to defeat the dreadlord Tichondrius! It is because of me why this ruined world had been freed from the long years it was held by the Legion when I invaded these lands and claimed it from the pit lord Magtheridon! It is because of me why the undead forces in Lordaeron have greatly diminished! The undead armies began fighting against one another with Ner'zhul losing control in many of his vile minions. It was due to my spell with the Eye of Sargeras that I channeled on Dalaran. A pity my spell failed because of your cursed intervention! If it wasn't for you, my spell would have vanquished the Lich King forever and all of the undead armies would surely fall! Do you not see everything that I did?! And did you not see what your foolishness have caused, Maiev?! You see me as a villain, yet you do not see the truth in everything that I've done!"</p><p>Maiev: "Your arrogance is truly astounding, Illidan! Your sense of honor runs no deeper than your hollow bravado! You tend to brag about all that you have succeeded to do and yet you left out your own failures, Illidan. Stopping you on your reckless magic with the Eye of Sargeras was one thing. You needed to be stopped as you were tearing the lands of Northrend asunder. But blaming me for your failure in vanquishing the Lich King? Tell me something. Despite your vainglorious victories, how does it feel to be defeated by a little mortal boy? How does it feel that you came so close upon destroying the Lich King but was stopped at the last minute by a spoiled human prince? You cannot blame me for this one now, can you? You failed your quest because you failed yourself, Illidan! I must admit, you disappoint me. I spent all this time chasing you down even to this ruined world in order to lock you up once again for I always believed you to be a dangerously reckless being to be walking out freely, and yet somehow I do feel like a fool upon doing so when I realized that perhaps you're not what I always thought you to be after all, Illidan, especially with your shameful failure!"</p><p>Illidan: "You had better silence your lips now, Maiev, or I will put you down in an instant! It does not matter of what you even think! Arthas had won only due to a mere lucky strike, nothing more!"</p><p>Maiev: "What is the matter, Illidan? Did I hurt your petty little pride? So much for his lucky strike, it seems that your pride is not the only thing it has damaged greatly. I can tell just by simply looking at you now, Illidan. You are but a mere shadow of your former self! Like a deadly poison, the dark curse inside you is slowly deteriorating your body from within. I can clearly sense it in you, Illidan. Your strength is weakening, and your powers are fading! With this war that you are facing now, it will take a miracle for you to win. The forces of the Legion are closing in around you, Illidan! The demons and fel orcs that you foolishly thought would serve you are now coming to end your reign."</p><p>Illidan: "So long as this citadel stands, the Burning Legion shall not be able to retake Outland! My warriors and I shall do all we can to holdout against those wretched demons and fel orcs! And with the aid of the Alliance mortals that have resided on this dead world, we stand with better chances!"</p><p>Maiev: "You are desperate, Illidan. Even with the help of those old mortal warriors, you can't hope to defeat the forces of the Legion by simply outlasting them inside this damned citadel! I sense the deep desperation within your thoughts in this war, Illidan. You are merely delaying the inevitable!"</p><p>Illidan: "And what else would you have me do, warden?! My chances for victory hangs by a thread! I will do all I can to win this war, or die trying at least. This is war is not just about me. If you have not heard yet, the demonlord Kil'jaeden plans to finish what Archimonde failed to do! If the Legion succeeds on retaking Outland, Azeroth will be doomed for another demonic invasion! Kil'jaeden's agents have reactivated the Dark Portal, which the orcs have used to get into our world! The Legion intend to reclaim Outland to serve as their main stronghold when they invade Azeroth once again!"</p><p>Maiev: "What?! No! This cannot be! Another demonic invasion?! Damn it, Illidan! Things are far worse than what I've thought! I could not care less if the demons retake these barren wastelands, and more so I could not care less even if you die by their hands! But knowing that our world might be invaded once more, I truly hate to say that it all falls to you to prevent the Legion from launching another invasion in Azeroth, and yet it is you who is now on the brink of defeat upon this war! The demons and fel orcs shall soon assault and raid this citadel, and it will be the end for all of us here!"</p><p>Illidan: "Which brings me to the reason why I even came here. Ten thousand years you have locked me up in darkness, and up until this day, never have I thought that I would actually do this to you!"</p><p>Maiev: "So my time has finally come, is it? I knew sooner or later you would come here, and finish me off for good! Well, considering your imminent defeat at the hands of the Legion, it won't make any difference if I am to be slain by you, or any of those demons and fel orcs. So do it now, Illidan!"</p><p> </p><p>At that moment, Illidan became quiet as he began to channel his mana energy for a powerful arcane spell. Maiev now stands silently within her magical prison cell while staring at her former prisoner, awaiting whatever is to come upon her with no sign of fear. After a few moments, Illidan unleashes a powerful beam of arcane energy upon the cell. The magical spell of Illidan instantly shatters the sealed dungeon grille door, and the spell enchantment for the cell has completely dissipated. Maiev is still alive, and was not harmed by the powerful spell casted by Illidan. Seeing what just happened to her prison cage, Maiev becomes utterly shocked as she realizes that Illidan has just unexpectedly freed her from her prison. Just a few moments ago, the warden was so sure that her own life would end, yet now she is free. After everything that happened between the two of them, Maiev has never expect any sort of mercy from Illidan. Confused, she asks him of his sudden actions of freeing her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Farewell Confrontation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Maiev: "What the?! What is the meaning of this, Illidan?! You… freed me… I do not understand!"</p><p>Illidan: "Do not get the wrong idea, warden! After everything you've put me through, I'd probably had more chance of mercy to a demon than you! I did what I had to do for there is no other choice!"</p><p>Maiev: "No other choice?! You could have easily killed me and finish out everything between us!"</p><p>Illidan: "It will not take long before the demons and fel orcs attack this citadel. The battle that will decide the fate of Outland, and there is no certain for victory. If they succeed in retaking the citadel, it will be the end for all of us. After all these ages, I had finally claimed my revenge on you, and I could have ended you anytime and anyway I wished to! But in this state, no good will come if both of us will die in here. I am now giving you this one chance to escape this place. Your warriors that I banished have hidden themselves somewhere on the ranges of the Mountains of Flame to the far west of this citadel. Flee now! Find your warriors, and return to our world through the Dark Portal! Leave these lands, warden, and never return! Before I change my mind, and slay you here instead!"</p><p>Maiev: "Well I must say, I am very much surprised by you, Illidan. Never in my life have I thought that you would actually do something like this for me. But, do not think that your little nobility act will change anything between us, Illidan! I vowed to make pay you for all the lives of my comrades that you took! To everything that you've put me through all this time, either I lock you up for good or slay you by my own blade! Then again, with this impending doom from those wretched demons and fel orcs, I surely will not let the Legion takeover our own world! There is little chance for you to win this war, and so for this one time, I shall consider putting aside my desire for revenge against you, Illidan! I will search for my troops in the Mountains of Flame, and we shall leave this shattered world behind. This war here is yours to deal with, Illidan, and I will let you handle it on your own."</p><p>Illidan: "By all means, consider this as our final confrontation. Leave now! With your powers, you should be able to escape easily and hardly noticeable just as what you did at the Tomb of Sargeras."</p><p>Maiev: "Before I go, let me just tell you this! I will not owe you anything, and nothing shall change between us! If there is by any chance that you win and survive in this war, I will return to hunt you wherever you may run, and I won't stop until you are chained once more inside my prison for you! If ever that happens, I guarantee that you shall never be able to escape from me ever again, Illidan!"</p><p> </p><p>At that moment, Maiev casts her magical spell of Blink that instantly teleports her out of the prison chamber, leaving Illidan behind. With very little mana energies needed for the Blink, Maiev is able to cast her spell consecutively, which enables her to not only escape the Black Citadel quicker, but also avoid the main areas that are guarded by the troops of Illidan. Due to the dimmed halls of the citadel and the covering darkness of the night sky, Maiev is also able to hide herself from the sight of some patrolling troops as she is able to use her Shadowmeld ability just by simply standing still for a few moments. It did not take long before Maiev had finally escape the Black Citadel, and run into the barren wilderness to look for her missing comrades somewhere in the Mountains of Flame. Back in the Black Citadel, Illidan focuses back upon the present state of his war against the Legion. With Maiev finally gone, Illidan readies himself for the soon upcoming battle for the Black Citadel.</p>
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